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Or, Workers of the World
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My birthday wishlist, now an annual tradition, is out! You can find it here and any and all gifts will be appreciated 🙂
(I’m also open to surprises; as long as it’s not a surprise party.)
Reader,
I’m still recovering from the Ghosting The Machine workshop at the Nairobi Contemporary Art Institute (NCAI) and some of the ideas that were floated during our time together. Speaking about labour, being alienated from it, and seeing artists chomping at the bit to use technology that culls from other artists’ work. I don’t yet know quite how to feel about the conversations we had, the attitudes that were on display, and the assertion that it was “bleak” and “Leftist” for us to bring up workers in a conversation about it.
I’m currently reading Blood Machine: The Origins of the Rebellion Against Big Tech and it’s making me think about how the more things change, the more they remain the same. Because tell me how the writing about automation in the Industrial Revolution is like reading about automation in the 21st century with gig work and so on.I want to read all the books that are quoted in the book because there are so many insights. Between this and Shift Happens, I’m ready to read lots and lots about labour in the years ahead for all the organising the future will require.
Quick news/ things that may be of interest:
Subscribe to my WhatsApp channel for texts I find while I spend time online
If you’re in the Global North and would be open to engaging in the North-South solidarity that is sharing a library card, please email or message me so we can figure things out. Thank you!
Tomorrow: Annual Democracy & Human Rights Festival + Artivism Concert (register here), featuring my friend Mika Obanda
This Friday: Night of the Queer Literati at Cheche Books
Links to Reading Lists, Free Books, Book Recs in this document
Discovered via The Stacks Podcast: Library Hotel (I want to go there so bad!)
This Saturday: The December Silent Book Club Meeting. Register for free here.
Since Elon seems to want (some of) us gone, I’m trying to post more often on Bluesky. Follow me there if you’re on it!
Sign the Refusing Complicity in Israel's Literary Institutions letter
Available for free till 11th December: How to Build a Democracy: From Fannie Lou Hamer and Barbara Jordan to Stacey Abrams by Christina M. Greer
Brittle Paper’s 100 Notable African Books of 2024 list is here
My friend Agnes Waruguru’s show What the water left behind continues at Circle Art Gallery. Please see it if you can!
You can send me books, postcards, letters, and assorted items via PO Box 102439, Jamia Posta 00101, Nairobi, Kenya
I have finished one book since I last wrote to you: the e-book version of Banned Book Club by Kim Hyun Sook (illustrated by Ryan Estrada & pencilled by Ko Hyung-Ju). I hope to get back to making videos soon so I can share my thoughts on recent titles. Before then, please go ahead and subscribe to the channel.
As ever, please write back to me and tell me what books you’re reading or looking forward to reading — it’s always a great time talking about books.
Thank you for reading 🙂
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Enjoy the week ahead and have a lovely time reading. Talk to you soon!